RetroLink USB SNES Controller

I recently purchased this little controller from ThinkGeek and I must say I have been completely pleased with it so far.

I love playing retro games on my computer, but they never feel quite right when using a modern controller (or worse, the keyboard). For the past several years I’ve been using a PlayStation controller connected to a PSX-to-USB box which works okay, but still doesn’t have quite the feel an old school controller would.

RetroLink makes several different styles of retro game controllers that connect to computers using USB, including NES, SNES, N64, and Sega Genesis controllers. (The company also makes adapters that convert real retro controllers to USB for use with your computer as well.) Because they don’t require drivers, these controllers work equally well for PCs and Macs. I’ve always found the SNES controller to be comfortable to hold, so that’s the one I purchased. The cable is 6′ long so it’s definitely long enough, and any program or emulator on your computer that recognizes USB controllers should instantly recognize these controllers as well.

The first thing I fired up was WinVice, the Commodore 64 emulator. The controller worked like a champ and will definitely be getting some serious gaming use in the future!